Jamal Crawford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Austin Rivers Could Go If Clippers Trade For Carmelo

January 26th, 2017 at 8:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Combo guard Austin Rivers has been discussed in trade talks between the Knicks and Clippers regarding Carmelo Anthony, an NBA executive told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

The Clippers have emerged as a potential landing spot for Anthony but are apparently unwilling to part with any of their Big Three — Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan — to facilitate a trade.

The Knicks are known to think very favorably of Rivers, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, as they made a push to sign him during free agency, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register notes.

The son of coach Doc Rivers is enjoying a career year and his production has jumped since he joined the starting lineup. Rivers is averaging 17.7 PPG, 3.9 APG and 2.8 RPG over the last 14 games. He signed a three-year contract this summer to rejoin the Clippers with a starting salary of $11MM.

That alone won’t be nearly enough to match up salaries, as Anthony is making $24.6MM this season. Jamal Crawford, who is making $13.25MM, has also had his name tossed into trade discussions, according to Turner. J.J. Redick, who is making $7.38MM, is another logical candidate in potential trade scenarios, Amick adds.

Of course, Anthony would have to waive his no-trade clause to make any deal come to fruition.

One unnamed GM believes it will happen, telling Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net, “I’m betting he is playing next to Blake, Chris Paul and DeAndre right after (trade) deadline.” (Twitter link).

Clippers Notes: Griffin, Rivers, Paul, Mavericks

January 20th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are hoping Blake Griffin will be able to play during their upcoming road trip, according to Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. The star forward has been sidelined since undergoing surgery in December to clear some “loose bodies” in his right knee. Griffin underwent stress tests on the knee Thursday and is expected to participate in some contact work today. The team is hoping he will be medically cleared for game action during the five-game trip, which extends through February 1st.

There’s more Clippers news out of Los Angeles:

Coach Doc Rivers suspected a problem with Griffin’s knee when he noticed the All-Star forward wasn’t getting past defenders as easily as he normally does. Rivers told Rowan Kavner of NBA.com that Griffin is starting to regain that ability again. “He looks great,” the coach said. “I don’t think the timeframe has changed. I know he feels wonderful. He looks like he’s explosive again.”
Rivers is planning to use several players to make up for the loss of Chris Paul, who will be out six to eight weeks following thumb surgery, Woike writes in a separate story. That means increased minutes for Raymond Felton, Jamal Crawford, J.J. Redick and possibly Austin Rivers. “It’s still next man up,” Doc Rivers said. “You take the top two players from any team, it makes it harder, but I don’t agree that it means that you struggle. You lose two guys, there’s nothing you can do about it. I think our guys have handled it well.”
The Mavericks have a surplus of point guards who might interest the Clippers, suggests Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas could offer Deron Williams, who will be a free agent after this season, Devin Harris, who is signed for one more year at a little more than $4.4MM, or J.J. Barea, who has two seasons left at about $3.9MM and $3.7MM.

Clippers Notes: Crawford, Griffin, Jordan, Garnett

January 13th, 2017 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

Coach Doc Rivers and his Clippers teammates are encouraging sixth man Jamal Crawford to shoot his way out of his slump, Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reports. Over the last eight games, he’s averaging 9.0 points while shooting just 29% percent from the field and 19% from long range. But Rivers says he needs Crawford to be a scorer on the second unit. “Jamal’s so talented that he’ll start being a passer and setting people up because he doesn’t feel it,” Rivers told Woike. “And we need him to shoot.” Crawford indicated to Woike that the other players are thinking all the same lines. “All my teammates are saying, ‘Be more aggressive.’ Doc’s saying, ‘Stop thinking. Just play,’” Crawford said. “That definitely makes you more comfortable, having that support.”

In other news involving the team:

Blake Griffin could return to action later this month, according to an Associated Press report. Griffin was projected to miss 4-6 weeks after undergoing minor right knee surgery on December 20 and Rivers indicated that timetable still applies. Griffin, who can become a free agent after the season if he declines his $21.4MM option, has missed the last 13 games.
DeAndre Jordan‘s interior presence has allowed Rivers to successfully employ small-ball lineups in Griffin’s absence, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. The Clippers are holding opponents to 96.4 points a game, 40.4% shooting and 27.6 % on 3-point attempts during their current five-game winning streak. “It makes your job easier because you can really get into the ball, be aggressive and get up into guys because you know you have a big shot blocker back there,” guard Raymond Felton told DiGiovanna. “When a guy is as athletic as he is, when he can move laterally and backwards with a guard coming at him downhill, it only helps me to really get into the ball and be able to pick up 94 feet.”
Kevin Garnett, hired as a consultant this week, has begun working with Jordan and other Clippers big men, DiGiovanna writes in the same piece. “I don’t know if he has a defined role except to work with the bigs and to just give knowledge to whoever wants it about being a teammate, about winning,” Rivers said.

Clippers Rumors: Paul, Griffin, Trade Options

December 1st, 2016 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers expect Chris Paul to demand a full five-year, maximum salary contract when he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2017, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe. Paul has an option for the 2017/18 season, but given the rising salary cap, he’s expected to opt out – along with Blake Griffin – to secure a more lucrative deal.

The new Collective Bargaining Agreement could have an impact on what Paul’s next contract might look like, but under the current CBA, he’d be eligible for a starting salary of around $33.5MM, based on the current cap projections for next year. At that rate, a full maximum salary deal for five years would be worth in excess of $190MM. That would be a huge investment for the Clippers to make in a point guard who will be 32 next summer, and it remains to be seen how negotiations will play out between the two sides. But as Lowe observes, owner Steve Ballmer has indicated he’s willing to spend what it takes to keep the team together.

Here’s more from Lowe on the Clippers:

While Lowe doesn’t cite any sources when he discusses Griffin’s situation, he suggests that maxing out the star power forward would be a “no-brainer” for the Clippers next summer. As the ESPN scribe notes, Doc Rivers has no interest in engaging in a rebuild, and the franchise isn’t well-positioned for one, so expect L.A. to do everything it can to keep its core pieces and remain in contention.
The Clippers are almost out of trade assets, but they could conceivably package Jamal Crawford and a future first-round pick for an upgrade on the wing, says Lowe. Still, he notes that the team loves Crawford and quality wings “don’t come cheap.”
The Clippers currently have two future first-rounders committed to other teams in trades, but they have some flexibility to move another one, despite the Ted Stepien rule. As Lowe explains, the NBA quietly made a change its trade rules this past summer — teams are now allowed to simultaneously owe two separate first-round picks with “two years after” language attached, rather than just one. The Clips are currently set to send the Celtics a first-round pick two years after they send one to the Raptors, and could agree to trade another first-rounder that would change hands two years after that pick is sent to Boston.

Western Notes: Thompson, Rubio, Finney-Smith

November 7th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson denied a suggestion that his early season struggles were a result of the team’s offseason addition of Kevin Durant, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com relays. “Not at all,” Thompson said when asked if his cold spell had anything to do with Durant. “I struggled last year for the first 20 games, and Kevin wasn’t here. So it has nothing to do with Kevin. So last year I struggled, then I went on a tear, so it’s just like any other season. Obviously we have different players, but I’m still getting the shots I always got before he was here, so it’s not on Kevin at all.” Thompson, who made 42.5% of his three-point shots during the 2015/16 campaign, has shot only 19.6% from beyond the arc through the Warriors’ first six outings.

Here’s more from out West:

Ricky Rubio, who has missed the Wolves‘ last three contests due to a sprained right elbow, is making steady progress in his recovery, according to coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays. No timetable has been relayed regarding when the point guard can return to action, Zgoda adds.
Spurs rookie Dejounte Murray credits much of his success and development to the influence of Clippers veteran Jamal Crawford, who has mentored the rookie for years, writes Rowan Kavner of NBA.com. “It means a lot,” Murray said of Crawford’s assistance. “When you’re successful, a professional athlete, you can help a lot of others. That’s one thing he did, is help me get to where I’m at today. I’m trying to have a long career like he has. He’s 36, he’s played a lot of years. He’s successful, and he’s still climbing in that top 100 scoring list. He’s a great dude.”
Mavericks rookie Dorian Finney-Smith has been pressed into action due to injuries on the team, but he is quickly earning the trust of the coaching staff with his strong play, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. “Finney-Smith is a more-experienced player in the American game,” coach Rick Carlisle said after Tuesday night’s game. “He’s an excellent defender. We don’t normally do it, but he got the game ball tonight. He was plus-19 when he was on the floor and Milwaukee was only 0.56 points per possession when he was on the floor. Other guys are doing it too, but it’s not a coincidence that the game changed on some level when he was out there.”

Western Notes: Crawford, Ellis, Durant

July 13th, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jamal Crawford wanted to remain with the Clippers all along, saying Los Angeles feels like home to him, Rowan Kavner of NBA.com relays. “I’ve said it the whole time, I wanted to come back here,” Crawford said. “My wife, we’ve been together 10 years now, but we’ve been in one place the longest here, so this is where she kind of knows from a team aspect. This is kind of like our home as well.” Crawford also noted that the unity throughout the team separated the Clippers from other places in the NBA – from the front office down to the locker room, which is another reason he re-signed with the club, Kavner relays. “That’s kind of unusual in this business,” Crawford said. “I’m not saying everything’s perfect or we don’t have our ups and downs or see things from different points of view; but overall, it’s a family.”

Here’s more from out West:

The Suns are closing in on hiring Ty Ellis as the head coach of their D-League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Ellis spent the 2015/16 campaign as an assistant on Phoenix’s D-League squad in Bakersfield.
Nuggets assistant coach Ed Pinckney is no longer with the team, having resigned from his post, and Wes Unseld has been promoted to lead assistant, Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post relays (on Twitter). A team source disputes that Pinckney resigned, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets, but that source did confirm that Pinckney was no longer with Denver.
Small forward Kevin Durant signed with the Warriors this offseason to compete for an NBA title, but he’ll likely see his off the court earnings increase as a result of the move, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. “It’s a huge move for Kevin,” said Eric Schiffer, CEO of Patriarch Organization and the chairman of ReputationManagementConsultants.com. “It’s going to be amazing for him from a financial standpoint. I think he is going to give LeBron James a run for his money there once he gets into the Bay Area. It gives him an almost unfair advantage in terms of marketing. It gives advertisers and brands who want to align with greatness further reason to invest. It’s going to be an economic earthquake. He can really change things there.”

Jamal Crawford Re-Signs With Clippers

July 8th, 2016 at 7:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

JULY 8th, 7:12pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

JULY 3rd, 5:32pm: The Clippers will re-sign veteran guard Jamal Crawford for $42MM over three years, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.

Crawford had been reported as unhappy with L.A.’s initial offer and was considered a threat to leave, with at least five teams having interest. The Clippers’ first offer was $12M for one season, according to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

The 36-year-old Crawford is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, an Award he has captured three times. He averaged 14.2 points per night in 79 games with the Clippers this season.

Crawford, who made $5.675MM during 2015/16, is the second Clippers guard to re-sign this weekend. Austin Rivers inked a three-year, $37.5MM deal on Saturday.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Young, Lakers, Clippers

July 4th, 2016 at 8:16am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns made a modest splash in the free agent pool earlier this week, agreeing to terms on a three-year, $30MM contract with veteran sharpshooter Jared Dudley. However, that deal with Dudley may be both the beginning and end of Phoenix’s summer spending spree, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. As Coro explains, the Suns are focused on developing a young core of players, rather than courting big-name free agents. The team still may explore the market for a wing player with some size, and could re-sign Ronnie Price, but there will likely be no more major expenditures.

Here’s more from around the Pacific division:

While Nick Young still has two years remaining on his contract with the Lakers, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s traded, or even waived, before training camp gets underway, says Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times.
Hours before word broke that Jamal Crawford had reached a deal to re-sign with the Clippers, a report indicated that the veteran guard received a “significant” offer from the Sixers. However, a league source denied to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that the 76ers made such an offer, prompting Pompey to wonder if Crawford’s camp used Philadelphia for leverage in an effort to get the Clippers to improve their offer.
Austin Rivers, another Clippers guard who struck a deal with the team this weekend, described the negotiating process as “weird” and “stressful,” as Nick Friedell of ESPN.com details. Rivers went through the rare experience of negotiating a deal with his father, Clippers president of basketball operations Doc Rivers. The younger Rivers also acknowledged that if Kevin Durant had wanted to join the Clippers, Rivers would be heading elsewhere at this point.

Western Notes: Durant, Rondo, Crawford, Mack

July 3rd, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant has concluded his meeting with the Heat, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. The session lasted about two hours, according to Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Durant plans to meet with representatives from the Thunder this afternoon before making his final decision. He also talked to the Warriors, Clippers, Spurs and Celtics this weekend, although L.A. is now out of the running.

There’s more news from the Western Conference:

The Kings are “moving on” from free agent point guard Rajon Rondo, according to Aldridge (Twitter link). Aldridge says Sacramento is comfortable with Darren Collison as its starter and will seek a backup in free agency.
The Sixers have made a “significant” offer to Clippers free agent combo guard Jamal Crawford, tweets Dan Woike of Orange County Register, and several other teams are interested. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has been contacted by the Kings, Hawks, Nets, Mavericks, Celtics and others, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
The Jazz have to make a decision on point guard Shelvin Mack this week, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. Mack’s $2.4MM salary for next season will become fully guaranteed on Thursday. Mack became the starter in Utah after a midseason trade from Atlanta and averaged 12.7 points and 5.3 assists in 28 games. The Jazz are trading backup point guard Trey Burke to the Wizards.
The Timberwolves are interested in Jordan Hill, but Pau Gasol remains their top priority in free agency, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.

Latest On Jamal Crawford

July 3rd, 2016 at 12:44am CST by Luke Adams

12:44am: In addition to the teams mentioned below, the Sixers have also been in touch with Crawford, tweets Arash Markazi of ESPN.com. However, according to Markazi, despite the fact that Crawford was reportedly “disappointed” with the Clippers’ initial offer, the team remains optimistic that it can re-sign him.

11:47pm: There’s also mutual interest between the Cavaliers and Crawford, though it remains to be seen whether Cleveland has the spending flexibility to make it work, reports Sam Amico of Amico Hoops (via Twitter). The Cavs would likely have to make a mid-level offer to Crawford.

11:41pm: The Clippers agreed to new deals with two of their free agents on Saturday, but even though Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson will be returning, it appears Los Angeles might not be bringing the whole gang back together. The Clippers have made a contract offer to Jamal Crawford, but the veteran guard was disappointed with that offer, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Although Crawford is hardly a goner yet, he has drawn interest from several other teams around the NBA. According to Dan Woike of The Orange County Register (via Twitter), there’s mutual interest between Crawford and the Warriors, who are waiting to see whether or not they have a shot to land Kevin Durant. Conversely, as today’s free agent agreements signaled, the Clippers have been told that Durant won’t be joining them, per Ben Bolch and Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

Meanwhile, the Nets have strong interest in Crawford, Mazzeo reports (Twitter link). Brooklyn is keeping a close eye on the shooting guard market, and is mulling the possibility of making a run at Allen Crabbe or Dion Waiters, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post tweets. Unlike Crawford, both Crabbe and Waiters are restricted free agents, meaning their current teams – the Blazers and Thunder – could match an offer sheet.

The Knicks, Mavericks, Magic, and Heat have also been mentioned as possible Crawford suitors this week, though at least a couple of those teams have gone in another direction at the shooting guard spot.